AB1213 ILLNESS PERCEPTION IN PATIENTS WITH KNEE OSTEOARTHRITIS
Authors: H. Boussaa, S. Touil, S. Miladi, A. Fazaa, M. Yasmine, L. Souabni, K. Ouenniche, S. Kassab, S. Chekili, K. Ben Abdelghani, A. Laatar
Journal: Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases (2023)

<h3>Background</h3> Knee osteoarthritis (OA) can be a source of pain and major functional handicap. If not relieved, it leads to an alteration of the patient's quality of life. The cognitive component of pain varies from one subject to another. <h3>Objectives</h3> The aim of this study was to evaluate the illness perception in patients suffering from knee OA. <h3>Methods</h3> We conducted a cross-sectional study in patients with knee OA. Illness perception was assessed using the French version of the Brief Illness Perception Questionnaire (BIPQ). This questionnaire was developed from the model of Leventhal et al. and aims to assess the different components of the disease. It includes 9 items: 8 quantitative questions on a numerical scale from 0 to 10 and a last item in the form of a qualitative question. The total score varies from 0 to 80, with no predefined thresholds. The higher the score, the more threatening the patient's perception of the disease is. A "p" value inferior to 0.05 was considered significant. <h3>Results</h3> Thirty patients with knee OA responded to the questionnaire. It was about 26 women (87%) and 4 men (13%) with a mean age of 60 years [42-71]. The average duration of the disease was 78 months [12-240]. All patients used tier 1 analgesics and NSAIDs, 33% used tier 2 analgesics and three patients had received corticosteroid knee injection. The mean visual analog scale (VAS) of pain was 6 cm [3-9]. The mean walking distance was 678m [100-1000]. None of the patients used a cane. The mean value of the Lequesne algofunctional index (AFI) was 8.8 [3-15]. Lameness was noted in 13% of patients. The patellar tap test was positive in 47% of cases. The mean values of body mass index (BMI) and waist circumference were 30kg/m² and 96cm, respectively. According to the Kellgren-Lawrence classification, knee OA was at grade 1 in 10% of the cases, grade 2 in 40% of the cases, grade 3 in 40% of the cases, and grade 4 in 10% of the cases. All patients completed the entire questionnaire with a mean score of 45 [36-54], and a mean maximum score of 6/10 for the first question assessing the impact of the disease on the patients' lives. Responses were incomplete for the 9th question which consists on listing 3 reasons that may cause the disease: only 15 patients (50%) cited 3 causes. The main reported factors causing knee OA according to patients were physical activity (83%), age (66%), prolonged standing (62%), and weight (51%). A statistically significant negative correlation was noted between the BIPQ, and age (r=-0.488, p=0.006) and disease duration (r=-0.583, p=0.001). This correlation was not significant with pain VAS, walking distance, BMI, waist circumference and the Lequesne AFI. <h3>Conclusion</h3> Illness perception in patients with knee OA is important to screen in order to deliver a more personalized management. <h3>REFERENCES:</h3> NIL. <h3>Acknowledgements:</h3> NIL. <h3>Disclosure of Interests</h3> None Declared.